7/8/2013 Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes
GORDON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
PUBLIC HEARING
July 8, 2013
The Gordon County Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on Monday, July 8, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Gordon County Administration Building for the purpose of hearing variance and zoning change requests. Members present were:
- Brad Rains
- Jerry Lovelace
- Ron Free
- Butch Layson
Chairman Rains called the meeting to order and advised all present of the sign-up sheets available for those who wish to address the Planning Commission on any of the zoning or variance change applications.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Butch Layson to approve the minutes of the previous meeting of June 10, 2013. Ron Free seconded the motion. All voted aye. The minutes were approved as written.
VARIANCE APPLICATION #V13-04, SHAW INDUSTRIES
(Applicant: Steve Taylor)
Chairman Rains read variance application #V13-04, Shaw Industries requesting a variance on 86.37 acres located at 843 Union Grove Rd., Calhoun, GA to change the type of business sign and to increase the square footage area and the height. William McDaniel, Engineering Manager for the Shaw Distribution Division, represented the request explaining that a monument sign will not provide enough visibility for name recognition when construction of the ramps off I-75 is completed and also Shaw cannot be recognized traveling east on Union Grove Road. They would like a variance to construct a free standing sign sized 162 square feet, 112 square feet from the maximum size allowed and the sign to be 50 feet in height, 35 feet from the maximum height allowed. A lighted sign would provide location of building at night and name recognition in the day. Steve Taylor with Southern Advertising joined Mr. McDaniel explaining the material the sign would be constructed with as he has constructed numerous signs for Shaw Industries. Chairman Rains added that since Shaw Industries was his employer he would not be voting on this variance, but would continue the flow of the meeting. All adjoining property owners had been notified.
Ursula Desrosier, Zoning Administrator for Gordon County, recommended that the variance request identified as Application #V13-04 be denied as requested, because it is not a hardship and it might begin to set precedence for other signage in Gordon County.
Butch Layson asked the applicant why they were asking for such a large size, as this is much larger than what is allowed on other State Highways. Mr. McDaniel responded that upper management thought that the building might not be visible from I-75 and therefore instructed him to make it happen. Ron Free stated he too agreed with the concern of setting precedence with other industries for a sign of that size. He recommended approving a sign of 30 feet in height and 100 square feet in size, which is doubling the ULDC code on State Routes. Mr. Free put his recommendation on the table as a motion on Application #V13-04 to allow construction of a sign for 30 feet in height and 100 square feet in size. Butch Layson seconded the motion. The vote was 3-0 to approve as recommended. The thirty- (30) day appeal period was explained.
REZONING APPLICATIONS #Z13-01 & Z13-02, BRIAN & COREY BAXTER
Chairman Rains read rezoning applications #Z13-01 and #Z13-02, Brian and Corey Baxter requesting to rezone two 2 acre tracts located at 522 and 536 Cook Road, Resaca, GA from A-1 to RA-1. The applicants stated that they wanted to rezone the 2 properties for the bank for appraisal purposes as a step to get through the loan to get a better appraisal on the houses they were going to build for the farm. All adjoining property owners had been notified.
Ursula Desrosier, Zoning Administrator for Gordon County, recommended that the rezoning requests identified as Application #Z13-01 and #Z13-02 be approved to rezone both properties from A-1 to RA-1.
Jerry Lovelace made the motion to approve both the rezoning requests identified as Application #Z13-01 and #Z13-02 from A-1 to RA-1. Butch Layson seconded the motion. All voted aye. The recommendation for approval was sent to the Board of Commissioners.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
Chairman Rains welcomed new Planning Commission Member, Jerry Lovelace. There being no additional business, Ron Free made the motion to adjourn. Butch Layson seconded the motion. All voted aye. The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
